La Fleur de Mon Coeur
by themswritinwords
Summary: The Mirror of Erised shows one's innermost desire. Harry already knows what his innermost desire is, having seen it in his first year. However, a lot can change in 3 years, and with the unlikely friendship between a beautiful French Veela during the Triwizard Tournament, will Harry's desire stay the same?


Pairing: Harry/Fleur

Summary: The Mirror of Erised shows one's innermost desire. Harry already knows what his innermost desire is, having seen it in his first year. However, a lot can change in 3 years, and with the unlikely friendship between a beautiful french veela, will Harry's desire stay the same?

**A/N: While reading one of the many Harry/Hermione stories involving either one looking into the Mirror and seeing themselves together (and sometimes in various states of undress), I decided to try my hand at it, but with my second favorite pairing, as well as the whole mirror scene being a smaller part in the overall romance, instead of the focus. Takes place in 4th year during the Triwizard tourney, and for the sake of my sense of propriety, Harry and co are 15, with age of entry into Hogwarts being 12 instead of 11. All other schools still have theirs at 11, just cause. **

**Also, this story will be almost pure romance and dialogue, with only small mentions of the events of the tasks, so be warned if that's not your cup of tea.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter; all I own is the plot of this story.**

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La Fleur de Mon Coeur

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~o0o~

"Harry Potter."

When Dumbledore snatched the thin strip of paper out of the air and read his name out loud, Harry Potter knew that the nice and cozy 4th year he had wanted, the one sans Dementors, Basilisks, and crazy Voldemort possessed teachers, was now gone in a puff of smoke.

Frozen in place, it took a whispered "Harry!" in his ear and a pinch on the arm from Hermione before he was able to get up and start walking towards the antechamber where the other 3 champions were being held. As he opened the door into the chamber, Harry took a second to take in his now fellow champions. He was somewhat acquainted with the other Hogwarts champion, Cedric Diggory, having seen him around the castle from time to time, but never really spoke to the boy. The Drumstrang champion, Viktor Krum, besides being widely renowned as the greatest seeker currently in play, was a mystery to Harry, but the surly attitude projected by the boy made any attempt at discerning said mystery a highly daunting endeavor. The third champion, Fleur Delacour of Beauxbatons, was the one that held his attention the longest, despite her haughty and somewhat condescending demeanor. Harry knew that there had to be more to the Veela then this mask and couldn't help but try to analyze her.

The fact that she was positively ethereal had nothing to do with his repeated glances towards her. None at all.

In the middle of the young man's musings, the rest of the Triwizard Tournament officials walked in, Dumbledore and Snape in tow, and immediately started to question Harry as to how his name got entered into the Goblet of Fire.

"No sir, I swear I didn't ask anyone to put my name in, and I definitely didn't put it in myself, you have to believe me." Harry pleaded, hoping that Dumbledore would be able to fix this.

Dumbledore turned and regarded Harry seriously, his eyes staring into Harry's almost as if he was trying to read his very soul, to judge his words and reveal any falsehood. After a few seconds, apparently satisfied with what he saw, said to him, "I believe you Harry, do not trouble yourself with what cannot be changed. We will no doubt find the reason for this duplicity in due time. For now, concentrate on the first task, train all you can, for I fear that there may be sinister forces at work here, bent on your untimely demise."

Up until now, the other 3 were confused as to why there was a 4th person in the chamber but had refrained from questioning Harry until the officials arrived, believing that there was a perfectly good reason for Harry's inclusion. Upon hearing of Harry's entry as a 4th champion, the other 3 were in various states of confusion, anger, and, in Fleur's case, condescension at his youth and inexperience.

"This boy is going to be competing with us? 'e is only a 4th year, 3 years behind the rest of us, not to mention 'e probably cheated 'is way into this competition." Fleur said, voice heavy with both disdain and a French accent, which, despite her hurtful words, Harry noted to be very attractive.

"I didn't want to be entered into this bloody tournament; I was looking forward to watching it with my friends!" Harry said indignantly, feeling the need to defend himself from Fleur's accusations.

Ludo Bagman, hovering nervously in the background along with Barty Crouch Sr., elected to step in at this point.

"Now now, I'm sure young Harry here did no such thing, but regardless, he is bound by his magic to compete, so the show must go on as they say!" trying to inject some levity into the tense atmosphere.

"Anyway, the first task starts November 24th, so best be prepared! We are not going to tell you what the task is, as this will be a test of your ability to face the unknown. That is all we have for you champions, so if you all would kindly head back to your dorms, it has been a most interesting night, and i'm sure you all need your rest."

With those parting words, the Tournament officials vacated the room. Harry, having just enough of the haughty veela's hurtful words, turned and sped out of the chamber as fast as he could, hoping to find some solace in Ron and Hermione, hoping that the school wouldn't turn on him again. Unfortunately, this was not to be, as most of the school, especially the Hufflepuffs, believed him to be a glory seeker, and wanted little to do with him. Only Hermione, his ever-loyal best friend, stuck with him.

What he did not count on, however, was an apology and subsequent friendship of a certain French Veela…

~o0o~

**4 Days Later, 20 days until 1st task**

Harry and Hermione were sitting up against several large stones at the edge of the black lake, unwinding after a long day of classes.

"Honestly Harry, why are you so hung up on that girl's words?"

"I don't know Hermione, I just thought, y'know, she'd be different, that she would understand that I don't want all that attention, being a Veela and all."

Unbeknownst to them, a short distance away sat Fleur Delacour, who before was working on her charms homework, but was now listening in on the pair's conversation.

"I thought maybe we could relate to each other, help each other in the tournament, maybe even have a go at friendship."

Hermione looked at Harry with a distinctly un-Hermione like smirk and said, "Friendship Mr. Potter? Is that the only thing on your mind when you think of the beautiful Fleur Delacour?"

"H-Hermione! I-I have no idea what you're talking about." He spluttered, turning bright red in the process.

"Oh Harry, relax, I was only teasing. No need to go Weasley red on me." She said, lightly slapping his arm.

"Oh, well then, no harm I suppose. Besides, I'm not looking for anything more than friendship right now, and Merlin knows I need help on that front."

Hermione took both of Harry's hands in hers and turned so that her whole body was facing him.

"You'll always have me Harry, never forget that. I'll never abandon you for anyone or anything." She said softly, a light blush adorning her cheeks.

"I know 'Mione, I'm so glad I can call you my best friend," Harry said, deeply touched by her declaration.

Fleur had heard enough of the conversation between the two to know that Harry was not the attention seeking prat she thought he was, and resolved to make amends post haste, and offer her friendship to the pair. She too did not have many friends due to her Veela heritage, her allure often turning men into drooling fools, and making women jealous with her flawless ethereal beauty.

'It also seems like someone might have a little crush on the boy-who-lived,' Fleur thought.

As Fleur was walking up to Harry and Hermione, Hermione looked up and noticed her approaching, and whispered, "Harry, it's Fleur, she's coming this way."

"What? Where? Why?" Harry said frantically, not exactly ready to have another conversation with the beautiful Veela.

Hermione grabbed Harry's head and turned it to the left, where Fleur was coming from, and Harry's breath caught in his throat. Long silvery blonde hair flowed down her back, framing her beautiful face, and her clear complexion clashed beautifully with eyes the color of the clearest blue sky. The blue Beauxbatons uniform matching almost perfectly with her eyes, as well as accentuating her lithe figure. To Harry, she looked to be an angel personified.

At that moment, Harry knew that his love life was well and truly screwed before it could even come into being.

Hermione turned and looked at Harry's lovestruck face and shook her head exasperatedly, already knowing what was on Harry's mind, and her being the ever-helpful best friend, smacked him upside the head before Fleur could notice.

"'Ello 'Arry, may I speak with you for a few minutes?"

"Oh, uh, sure Fleur, no problem." Harry said, trying desperately to not sound like every other boy who tried to talk to her.

"Fantastique, come 'Arry, walk with me."

Harry and Hermione both stood up, with Harry looking questioningly at Hermione. Hermione, after smiling softly at Harry to let him know it was alright, agreed to meet him in the common room when he got back.

'Weird, that smile Hermione gave me almost seemed a little forced,' Harry mused. 'Must have just been my imagination.'

Harry quickly caught up to Fleur, resigning himself to a thorough interrogation of what happened when he returned.

"So, Fleur, uh, what'd you want to talk to me about?" Harry said, going through every possible reason as to why she wanted to talk to him.

"Well… 'Arry… I just wanted to-, "she paused, struggling to find the words to convey what she wanted.

'Wow, confident, self-assured Fleur Delacour fumbling for words, not something you see every day,' Harry thought.

"I just wanted to apologize for saying what I said to you the night the champions were chosen. I thought that you were an attention seeking prat who cheated their way into the tournament, but now I know that not to be true, so I want to say I'm sorry."

After Fleur's apology, Harry was speechless. Of all the things he expected Fleur to say to him, a sincere apology was not one of them.

"Wow Fleur, I uh, it's no problem really, I understand where you're coming from, so apology accepted."

"Thank you 'Arry," She said in reply, looking slightly relieved. "I am glad that we sorted that out. Would you mind terribly if we started over?"

Harry shook his head and held out his hand. "Of course not Fleur, let's start over."

As she shook his hand, a small, genuine smile graced her features, making her look even more ethereal in the waning sunlight.

They talked for over an hour, swapping stories and little tidbits about themselves, until Fleur, suddenly nervous, voiced a question she had been wondering ever since she apologized.

"We are friends now, non?"

"Of course Fleur, I wouldn't have it any other way," Harry said, happy to have gained a new friend. A very pretty and alluring friend to boot.

"Wonderful! Now 'Arry, as much as I would love to continue to explore our newfound friendship, it is getting quite late," She said, looking at the rapidly setting sun.

"No worries Fleur, Hermione is probably wondering why I'm still not back yet anyway."

"I would not be averse to doing this again sometime, oui?"

"I'd love to Fleur, why don't you just send me an owl or something with a day and time in mind?" He replied, and the pair started to make their way back to where the Beauxbatons carriage and Hogwarts were.

"I can do that 'Arry," she said, happy to have found a male friend who wanted to spend time with her for who she was, and not because of her allure.

Before Fleur could respond any further, the wind picked up, causing her to shiver in the dying sunlight.

"I must confess it is getting quite chilly too."

"Oh, no worries there Fleur, you can borrow my jacket for your walk back to your carriage," Harry said brightly, taking his jacket off in the process and handing it to Fleur.

Hesitating only briefly, she took the jacket and put it on, buttoning it up with care.

"I uh, hope you don't mind, it has my last name on the back, but you could easily spell it so that it doesn't say anything on it."

"Non 'Arry, it is no problem. I must confess, you are unlike many men I have talked to and interacted with over the years. You 'ave been the consummate gentleman the 'ole time," Fleur said softly, her cerulean eyes alight with gratitude, and something else Harry couldn't quite place.

"I'm glad you think so Fleur, after all, what are friends for?" Harry said, throwing a cheeky smile her way.

Fleur laughed, a sound that was like music to Harry's ears, and he resolved to bring this Fleur, the talkative, laughing Fleur, out of her shell whenever he could.

"Bonne nuit 'Arry," Fleur said, starting to walk towards her carriage, the word "Potter" seen faintly on her back in the sparse sunlight.

"Good night Fleur," Harry said back.

Slowly making his way back to the Gryffindor common room, he couldn't help but smile at how wonderful it was to have a new friend, and how much he enjoyed her company.

Not to mention the fact that he thought the way she said his name was quite pleasurable to his ears.

~o0o~

**The Next Day, 19 Days until first task**

The Gryffindor duo were sat next to each other at the end of the Gryffindor table at breakfast in the great hall, as most of their fellow housemates still wanted nothing to do with Harry. Hermione was just telling Harry about a new series of runes she had found in Ancient Runes yesterday when they heard someone clear their throat behind them.

"Good morning 'Arry and 'Ermione, would you mind terribly if I were to sit with you two today?"

When both Harry and Hermione said it would be no problem, Fleur dropped herself down next to Harry and started to reach for a dish that had a bunch of different types of seafood. Unbeknownst to the impromptu trio, all of Gryffindor was staring at them incredulously, never imagining that someone like Fleur would want to associate with a cheater in their eyes.

Harry turned and regarded Fleur with a quizzical look. "Not that I don't appreciate your company Fleur, but why are you sitting with us?"

Fluer gave a short laugh that left half the males at the table drooling and said, "We are friends now, non? Do friends not sit with each other during meal times?"

"Well, if you can stand all the whispering and looks then you are more than welcome to sit here Ms. Delacour, my name is Hermione Granger, although it seems that Harry already filled you in on that."

Taking a small bite of the mystery seafood, and seemingly finding it satisfactory, Fleur said, "Yes, our little talk yesterday went on a bit longer than I had anticipated, and I ended up learning a great deal about 'Arry."

"Well, any friend of Harry's is a friend of mine Fleur, welcome to the Harry Potter Club. Membership has now increased from 2 to 3 by my count," Hermione said with a teasing smile on her lips.

"Hey now, don't knock my club, it's very exclusive after all," Harry shot back with a smile. "Say Fleur, are you still wearing my jacket from yesterday?" Harry, having just now looked at Fleur properly, realized that she was still wearing a jacket.

"Oui 'Arry, it was still chilly this morning when I stepped outside, and I was planning on returning it this morning anyway." She turned and regarded the thick jacket with a certain level of fondness. "'Owever, seeing as the cold weather does not seem to be going away any time soon, I was wondering if I could keep this jacket for a while?"

"Sure Fleur, it's no problem, I have another one anyway. Those jackets are usually what we wear when it's cold outside during a quidditch match, that's why my name and number are on it."

Harry didn't really have another quidditch jacket, but something about Fleur Delacour, the beautiful French Veela, walking around Hogwarts with a jacket that had his name on it for all to see stayed his words.

Fleur shot him a dazzling smile in response, and Harry was pretty sure that even if Voldemort pranced into the great hall and announced he was going to become a nun, he would still be staring at Fleur, looking like a fool.

Thankfully, Hermione, more than a little disgruntled by her friend's infatuation with Fleur, smacked him upside the head once more, knocking out of his Fleur induced daze.

"Will you stop it!" She whispered furiously, "I don't think I need to remind you that Fleur doesn't need you to look at her like that."

Harry rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, his face slowly turning red. "Sorry Hermione, it's hard not to sometimes."

Fleur, having heard everything despite Hermione's attempt at subtlety, leaned across Harry so that only him and Hermione could hear her and said, "Eet iz no trouble 'Ermione, I do not mind if 'Arry looks, 'e iz quite ze looker 'imself, non?" She knew full well what her accent did to men, so she intentionally played it up in order to provoke a reaction from Harry. When she turned and looked at him, she was not surprised that he was quickly turning bright red and avoiding her gaze. With her mission accomplished, she leaned back and started to eat more of her meal, a victorious smirk firmly in place.

Harry, having never been the target of such blatant flirtatious teasing, was having a hard time remembering who he was, let alone trying to come up with an appropriate response.

Hermione on the other hand, was not having as much fun as Fleur no doubt was. Turning back to her half-eaten plate, she glared at her eggs, daring them to do something wrong. 'Who does she think she is?' Hermione thought. 'Flirting with my Harry like that, I bet she's just trying to string him along and then break his heart.' Before Hermione could begin planning Operation: Save Harry from the Veela, she was brought out of her thoughts by the masses leaving to go to their perspective classes.

As She sat up from the table and grabbed her things to head to class, she overheard Fleur and Harry talking about plans to meet up at some point to go for another walk out near the lake. Feeling a pang of something that seemed to feel suspiciously like jealousy, she muttered a quick goodbye to Harry before heading off to Ancient Runes, missing the confused and slightly hurt look on his face at her rather curt departure.

~o0o~

**17 Days later, 2 Days Until 1st Task**

2 days before the 1st task Harry and Hermione could be found, as per usual the past week, huddled in a distant corner in-between a multitude of dusty times, in the Hogwarts Library.

Frustrated, Hermione set down _Dragons: A History _and turned to regard the half-asleep form of one Harry Potter.

"Harry, I don't think we're going to find anything more useful than what we've already found. I think your best bet will honestly be the Parseltongue," Hermione said, slightly worried with how Harry would react to the unwelcome news.

"I suppose you're right 'Mione, I just don't want everyone to think I'm the Heir of Slytherin all over again. That would be very unpleasant," Harry replied, memories of second year floating into the forefront of his mind.

Hermione took one of Harry's hands into hers and said, "I know what you mean Harry, but wouldn't you rather be alive? This Parseltongue strategy is the only viable one we have, and the 1st Task is 2 days away."

Hermione stumbled upon an obscure book detailing the limitations of the Parseltongue ability, such as what snakes can be talked to in Parseltongue, what snakes make a good familiar for a Parseltongue, and non-snake reptiles that can converse in Parseltongue. It was this last section that Hermione found that Dragons are distantly related to snakes, thus can converse and understand Parseltongue. From there, her and Harry looked up all there was about dragons in order to have a rough draft as to what Harry will say to whatever dragon he got. She found out in _Dragons: A History_ that they are a proud species, so one must always speak respectfully and carefully whenever conversing with one.

Harry sighed and said, "Alright Hermione, we'll go with your idea, it does have some merit after all." He stood up and started sorting through all the books they had taken out, putting the non-essential books back on to the various shelves around them, watching as they vanished and reappeared wherever they were originally. "At least now we can stop researching and relax before the task, right?"

Hermione looked up from her planner and said, "Yes Harry, we can. I actually wanted to talk to you about something, if you don't mind." She was rather nervous about the topic she wanted to talk about, and she hoped that Harry wouldn't take it the wrong way.

"Sure, want to go the lake?" Harry said, grabbing his bag from the chair next to him and standing up, offering her his hand.

"Yes, that would be perfect," Hermione replied, grabbing his hand and letting him pull her up out of her chair.

The duo made their way through Hogwarts, past several empty corridors, and exiting out of the entrance hall doors and into the Hogwarts grounds. While making their way to a secluded part of the lake, where there were several large rocks one could lean against while looking out to the lake, Hermione tried to make small talk to cover up her nerves. Judging by Harry's concerned look however, she was not as successful as she had hoped.

As the two of them got comfortable in their spot, Hermione brought up the reason why she brought him out there to begin with.

"Harry, what are your feelings towards Fleur? Ever since she came and sat with us 2 weeks ago, you two have been nearly inseparable."

Harry made to start speaking, but she held up a hand to indicate she wanted him to let her finish what she wanted to say before responding.

"Don't get me wrong, I enjoy Fleur's company and all, I was just… curious… as to how you feel about her. I don't want you to develop a crush on her or anything like that, only for her to leave at the end of the year."

Harry looked at her for a few seconds before responding, thinking about the best way to go about his response.

"Hermione, I won't lie, I think Fleur's a great person, with a wonderful personality, doesn't see me as the Boy-Who-Lived, and not to mention she's the most beautiful woman I've ever seen. That's the thing though isn't? She's 2 years older than me, on top of all the other things I mentioned. There's no way a girl like her would fall for regular old Harry Potter." Harry sighed and turned to stare wistfully at the ripples in the lake caused by the giant squid.

Hermione hated seeing Harry down on himself that like, especially when she knew that anyone would be very lucky to get a guy like Harry, who was sweet, thoughtful, and noble to a T.

"Oh Harry, Fleur would be lucky to be able to date a guy like you, I'm lucky just to be able to call you my very best friend," she told Harry, the sincerity in her words letting him know that all she said was true.

"Thanks Hermione, sometimes it's hard to see it that way, but you always know how to make me feel better," Harry said softly, and secretly he thought he was the lucky one to have someone as supportive as Hermione.

"I think, if you really do have feelings for Fleur, don't fight it, just wait and see if Fleur might feel the same," Hermione said, hoping the advice would further put him at ease.

It had the desired effect, and Harry perked up a little, saying, "You're right 'Mione, it's just a waiting game now. I really hope she feels the same way, I enjoy her company a lot, and she can be a real laugh sometimes."

Hermione smiled but didn't respond, not liking the way Harry's eyes lit up when talking about Fleur, or the way he would seem lost in thought whenever she was brought up, almost as if he was thinking about all the fun times he's had with her.

'At least I'll always be with Harry, she's leaving after this year, and who knows what someone like her would get up to once far away from Harry,' she thought. 'I need to sort out my feelings for this wizard before I even think about doing anything about them. It's all so confusing.'

The two of them spent the rest of the afternoon in their spot, occasionally talking, but mostly in silence, both lost in their own thoughts. Hermione, about a certain black-haired teenage wizard, and Harry, about a certain silvery blonde haired French Veela.

~o0o~

**1 Week Later, Day of the First Task**

Harry was very nervous about the first task, after all, it wasn't normal for a 4th year to face down a dragon in a tournament where people died all the time. He was walking down to the arena that was erected specifically for the first task with Fleur, both too nervous to really talk about anything.

The pair had grown increasingly close ever since Fleur's apology, and both were concerned for the other regarding the first task. The pair entered the Champions tent and went through the motions, each picking their dragons out of the bag Bagman had. Fleur got the Welsh Green, and unfortunately for Harry, he got the worst one out of the lot; the Hungarian Horntail.

When Cedric's name got called and he left the tent, Fleur got up and quickly walked over to where Harry was pacing, sweeping him up in a tight hug, and just held him close.

"'Arry, promise me when you go out to face your dragon that you will be okay, and that you will take no unnecessary risks. I could not bear it if you got 'urt or killed," she said into his neck, her words slightly muffled.

On Harry's part, he was shocked that she seemed to care so much about him and was deeply touched. Another part of him marveled at how well they seemed to fit together, and how she felt in his arms, the way she nuzzled into his neck, and the overwhelming scent of lavender and lilies.

"Don't worry Fleur, I won't even have to move all that much if my plan works, so no worries about unnecessary risks there. You be careful too Fleur, I care about you a lot, and would hate for you to get hurt," Harry said softly, easing Fleur's worries slightly.

She looked up at him and saw nothing but concern in his eyes, none of the want and lust that she would have expected to see with any other man in Harry's position. 'You really are one of a kind Harry Potter, and I hope to be able to call you mine soon, I just hope that you feel the same way,' Fleur thought. She was worried that Harry might reciprocate the feelings that Hermione so obviously had for him, but she would take that chance, as in her eyes, her heart would belong to no other.

The pair could have happily stayed that way until Fleur had to leave but were interrupted by a cough.

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything?" The voice of Hermione said behind them. They quickly jumped apart, and both were disappointed at the loss of contact and warmth the other provided.

"Oh uh, hey Hermione, didn't know you were coming to visit," Harry said sheepishly, his face slowly starting to turn red from embarrassment. He couldn't quite decipher what the frown on her face was for before it quickly morphed into an unconvincing smile.

"Oh Harry, I just wanted to come and wish you good luck and to be safe," Hermione said, before also hugging Harry fiercely, mostly because she was worried about him, but also to try and show Fleur who had a larger role in Harry's life, and who stuck with him through thick and thin for 4 years. Hermione pulled back slightly before planting a kiss on his cheek, her soft lips lingering on his cheek a split second too long to be strictly platonic, before pulling away completely and wishing him good luck.

Harry stood there after Hermione left stunned. Hermione had given him hugs before, but never had she kissed his cheek, especially like the one she just gave him. It was borderline amorous if he thought about it. 'I'll have to figure out what's going on with Hermione after this task, she's been acting strange around me ever since Fleur apologized and we started to hangout more.'

When it was time for Fleur to take on her dragon, it was Harry who gave her a swift hug and a quick 'good luck' before she went and faced her dragon. Fleur's round gave way to Krum's round, and before Harry could even become properly scared again, it was his turn to face his dragon. As he stepped out into the arena and faced down one of the fiercest dragons known to wizard kind, his memory of what transpired in the Champions tent gave him the strength to do what needed to be done in order to return to a certain silvery blonde Veela.

Harry opened his mouth and began to speak to the horntail in Parseltongue.

~o0o~

**3 Days later, 4 Weeks until Yule Ball**

"Yule Ball, Professor?" Harry said, not quite sure he had heard McGonagall correctly.

After successfully talking to the dragon during the first task, who was actually quite friendly towards Harry after he explained that he did not intend to harm her or her eggs, and just wanted the fake egg, as well as agreeing to meet her and talk to her before the dragon handlers took the dragons back to the preservation, Harry thought he could face anything. Well, anything but a ball in front of hundreds of people.

"Yes Mr. Potter, the Yule Ball is a traditional dance held on Christmas Day, and, as a Champion, I felt it prudent to tell you that you will be opening the dance with the other 3 Champions and their perspective dates."

"Opening dance? Dates?" Harry spluttered, quickly becoming pale.

The tiniest of smiles graced McGonagall's face before responding, "Yes Mr. Potter, both of those things will be present at the Yule Ball. You'd best get a move on, this announcement was made in all other classes, so no doubt students are already pairing off."

"Thank you, Professor, I'll get right on that," Harry said, starting to walk out of the classroom, wracking his brains, trying to think of someone he could talk to the ball.

"Mr. Potter?"

Harry stopped and turned to look at the Transfiguration Professor to see, shockingly, a smirk on her face.

"Y-yes Professor?" He stammered, slightly unnerved at the foreign facial expression on his normally very serious teacher.

"I do not believe Ms. Delacour or Ms. Granger have any eyes on anyone so far, so you might want to start there," She said.

Harry stared at his teacher for what seemed like hours, mouth slightly agape. 'Am I getting dating advice from McGonagall? What is happening? Why did she suggest Fleur? And Hermione?'

"I will keep them in mind, thank you Professor," Harry said quickly, before running out as fast as he could without seeming rude.

"Filius, Albus, you two can come out now," McGonagall said into the seemingly empty classroom. Both Flitwick and Dumbledore disillusioned themselves and stepped closer to the front of the classroom, both chortling at Harry's expense.

"So, Minerva," Flitwick began, "who do you think young Mr. Potter will choose to escort to the ball?"

"My money is on Ms. Granger," Dumbledore replied. "She has been young Harry's support ever since the 1st year, I am sure she will be the first he will ask, and from what I have been hearing, she will say yes in a heartbeat."

"Care to make a little wager then, Minerva, Albus?" Flitwick said excitedly. It was well known that Professors would often make small wagers about who couples with who.

"20 Galleons on young Ms. Granger being Harry's date," Dumbledore said confidently, sure in Harry's feelings for the brightest witch of her age.

"20 Galleons on Ms. Delacour for me Filius," McGonagall said, citing how the two champions have grown quite close over the past month.

"Sorry Albus, I have to agree with Minerva there, Ms. Delacour will be on the arm of Mr. Potter for the ball," Filius replied.

"Well, we shall see then, shall we?"

The three professors exited the empty classroom, still debating the likelihood of either witch being Harry's date to the ball.

~o0o~

**14 Days Later, 2 Weeks Before Yule Ball**

After 2 weeks of dodging Yule Ball invitations and trying to find someone to invite to the Yule Ball himself, Harry was sure he would rather actually fight a dragon in hand to hand combat than have to listen to another fan girl ask to be his date to the dance.

Fleur found the whole affair quite funny, even though she was getting just as many, if not even more invitations to the ball then Harry. When Harry asked why she didn't accept any of them, she simply replied, "Oh 'Arry, I am just waiting for a certain wizard to, 'ow do you say, 'wizen up,' and ask me."

When pressed as to who exactly that wizard was, Fleur would refuse to say. Harry got the distinct feeling he knew who this mystery wizard was but couldn't quite put his finger on it.

"Oh, honestly Harry, are you really that dense?" Hermione had told him one afternoon when he had asked her whether Fleur had told her who the wizard was.

"No, I think it's perfectly valid for me not to know whoever this bloke she fancies is."

Hermione just rolled her eyes in response and muttered something that sounded suspiciously like "I bet you didn't know I fancy you either." Unfortunately, Harry, being who he was, failed to hear her uttered declaration, and instead went on to complain about how there were no witches who want to go to the ball with him as Harry Potter, and not as The Boy-Who-Lived.

Things all came to a head 2 weeks after Harry first learned about the Yule Ball when Fleur practically kidnapped Harry out of the Gryffindor Tower stating the need for some 'Champion Talk.'

With Fleur dragging a bewildered and slightly bemused Harry behind her, he couldn't help but admire the way her uniform fit snugly against her bum and accentuated the rest of her lithe figure. He was so distracted by her considerable assets that he didn't even notice that they had stopped near a door on the 7th floor that was opposite to a portrait of a group horrible dancing trolls.

"Say Fleur, what is this room?" Harry said confusedly, not remembering this room ever being here.

"I wanted a place to talk to you privately 'Arry, and I asked one of the 'ouse elves where I could do so. They told me to go to the 7th floor and walk around this walk 3 times while thinking about what I wanted, and this door popped up. They called it the come and go room." Fleur said, all the while taking him closer to the door.

When Fleur opened the door, they were both surprised at what they saw.

The setting was very dim, with the only source of light coming from the large fireplace in the center of the wall opposite the entrance, holly logs crackling merrily from within, filling the room with a pleasant fragrance. A small couch sat in front of the fire, flanked by two love seats, and a low coffee table sat in between the couch and fire, with a vase filled with a mix of lavender and lilies. The overall effect was very intimate, yet homely.

"Come 'Arry," she said, leading him to the couch and motioning for him to sit down. "I will call the 'ouse elf who 'elped me find this place for some refreshments. Dobby!"

With that, Dobby the house elf immediately popped into existence with a cup of tea, a cup of coffee, and some bread like treat that Harry couldn't identify.

"Harry Potter's Flower be calling Dobby; Dobby is most honored to be of use to the great and noble master Harry Potter sir!" Dobby said excitedly, popping the tray down on the coffee table and popping away before anyone could say anything more than a thank you.

"Great and noble master Harry Potter sir?" Fleur asked bemusedly. "I do not think I 'ave ever seen a 'ouse elf so enthusiastic about serving one person before."

Harry groaned and launched into the story of his second year, and how he freed Dobby from Lucius Malfoy with a sock, and how now because he freed Dobby, he practically worships the ground Harry walks on.

After finishing both the story and their perspective beverages, they lapsed into a comfortable silence, just enjoying being in each other's presence. After a short while, it was Fleur who broke the silence first.

"'Arry, I wanted to ask, how are you doing with the Yule Ball?" Fleur said tentatively, especially nervous about Harry's response to her next question. "'Ave you found anyone to go with you yet?"

Harry looked at her, slightly confused as to why the was acting so nervous. It wasn't like Fleur to be so unsure. Over the past month, he had gotten to know the real her, and that the haughty and condescending attitude was just an act to keep men away, but she was still very confident with herself and her abilities.

"Well Fleur, they aren't going so well, seeing as I have yet to get myself a date," Harry said, smiling wryly. "You'd think that being the Boy-Who-Lived, I would be able to do something as simple as finding a date to a dance."

Fleur wrapped an arm around Harry, bringing him closer to her on the couch, her side molding to his. The temperature of the room seemed to have suddenly jumped 10 degrees, but neither comment. Fleur turned and looked at Harry, her face quite close to his.

"Well, 'Arry, I think I can 'elp you with your problem, and the best part is you will not 'ave to use your Boy-Who-Lived status to get this girl."

Harry swallowed thickly, suddenly entranced by the way the firelight flitted across Fleur's face, highlighting her regal French nose, her cupid bow lips, and the fire seemed to dance in her cerulean blue eyes.

"Yeah?" Harry said softly, breathily, his mind running through a million thoughts a minute, and all of them seemed to be focused on the beautiful girl in front of him.

"Yes 'Arry, and I 'ope that you do not treat her as anything other than 'erself, and not how other people would normally treat 'er, although from what I 'ave seen, you will be just fine," Fleur said, leaving little doubt as to who she could be talking about.

"Yeah, I think I can do that Fleur," Harry said, already having figured out who she was referring to, but keeping quiet for now.

"If you would like, I could introduce you to 'er," Fleur said, a slight tremor in her voice belaying her nervousness.

Harry brought the two of them closer, to the point where Fleur was almost on top of him. The sensation of her lithe body on top of his was the pinnacle of exquisite torture, but he managed to control himself.

"I would love that Fleur," Harry replied quietly, his lips inches from hers, their breaths mingling together in the small space between the two.

"Then close your eyes 'Arry," Fleur said, closing her eyes as well, and before either of them could say anything else, Fleur closed the distance between the two and their lips met.

All thoughts fled from Harry's mind as the feeling of her soft lips on his was mind blowing, intoxicating, and he never wanted it to end. The kiss was like nothing he'd ever felt. It started tentatively at first, her lips lightly brushing his, before Fleur deepened it, moving her hand to the back of his head and drawing him closer, becoming more heated, passionate. He felt something lightly caress his mind, almost like a warm summer breeze, and he knew instinctively that it was from Fleur, and accepted it into himself, causing the kiss to feel even better, like they were made for each other.

Reluctantly both parties pulled away, both flushed red and breathless.

"Wow."

"Oui."

"So, Fleur, does this mean you'll go to the ball with me?" Harry asked, half worried that this was a onetime thing. Thankfully for him, Fleur threw her head back and laughed that melodic laugh of hers and said, "Of course I will you silly man! I do not just kiss anyone 'owever."

Harry looked at her with a confused frown, "What do you mean?"

A demure smile flitted across Fleur's features as she once again leaned closer to Harry.

"It means, my Chevalier, that I am not, as they say, 'easy.' Therefore, if you would like another kiss like that, you will have to do something for me," she said, her breath caressing his face, driving him to distraction.

"Anything Fleur," Harry said softly, his mind struggling to comprehend what was happening.

"Good, then would you perhaps like to be my date to the ball, as well as my boyfriend 'Arry Potter?" she asked, a moment of insecurity and doubt adorning her features.

Harry, recognizing that underneath the confident, self-assured, and angelically beautiful French Veela was a young girl who was just as insecure about romantic feelings and dating as any other girl. He took his hand and gently caressed her cheek and said, "Of course I will Fleur, I have wanted to be with you since you apologized, I was just worried you wouldn't feel the same way as I do."

She beamed at him, his heart fluttering at how she lit up with happiness at his proclamation, and she tackled him in a fierce hug, all the while peppering kisses all over his face.

When they both settled down, Harry asked a question that was on his mind ever since the kiss.

"Fleur, I felt something in my mind, like someone was caressing my thoughts, if that makes any sense."

"Ah, that would be my Veela side 'Arry, it was calling me to, ah, 'ow do I say this, mate with you," Fleur replied, a smirk firmly in place.

"Oh, uh, I-I see," Harry stammered, turning red at the thought, various images of him and Fleur in various stages of undress flashing through his mind.

Fleur laughed, finding Harry's innocence and blush to be cute and endearing.

"Do not worry 'Arry, we are not quite ready for anything like that," She said, before leaning in close to his ear and whispering, "Yet."

Fleur stood up from her position on Harry's lap and beckoned for him to do the same.

"Come 'Arry, as much as I enjoyed myself, we do not want to be in her for too long, non? We 'ave things to do today, and we need to coordinate our clothing for the ball."

Harry stood up and stretched before following her out of the room and into the hall, before taking her hand into his and interlocking them together, giving her a shy smile. She gave his hand a squeeze of reassurance before the pair headed back to the Gryffindor common room, both lost in happy thoughts regarding recent developments in their relationship.

~o0o~

**The Next Day, 13 Days Before Yule Ball**

Harry's, on cloud 9, dementors beware because my patronus will legitimately destroy you because I have an amazing patronus memory to use mood lasted less than 24 hours before something completely and utterly destroyed it. That something just happened to be because he had to turn down one Hermione Granger's invitation to the Yule Ball, leaving him feeling utterly terrible. Sitting in the common room alone, he couldn't help but think about what had transpired earlier in the day and feel terrible. The only consolation was that Hermione seemed to take it in stride and still seemed to want to be the close best friends they always were.

Flashback 2 hours

Harry and Hermione were sitting in their usual spot by the Black Lake that Saturday afternoon, Hermione with a book in her lap, and Harry leaning against her with his head on her shoulder, like he always did when they sat together. Sometimes he would read whatever book she had out, but most of the time he would just look out onto the surface of the lake and just unwind. This time however, Hermione seemed preoccupied with something on her mind, as she hadn't turned a page in the past hour they had been sitting there. Harry didn't say anything, content to just let Hermione tell him on her own time.

Hermione was indeed lost in thought, thinking about how she could go about asking Harry to the ball. She had made a list earlier in the day, detailing things she could say, ways she could say it, where and when said things could be said. Their alone time by the Black Lake was number one on her list, and she resolved to ask him then.

'Come on Hermione, you can do this, take that Gryffindor courage and use it to ask the boy out!'

After her little mental pep talk, Hermione closed her book and put it down, and turning to Harry said, "Harry, I need to talk to you about something."

Harry, slightly startled, sat up and said, "Uh, sure 'Mione, you know you don't have to tell me that, you can just tell me, okay?"

"I know Harry, just wanted to make sure," Hermione replied, smiling demurely. "Anyway, I um, wanted to ask you how the Yule Ball thing is going."

"Oh, yeah the Yule Ball-" Before Harry could finish what he was saying, Hermione started to talk again, her words coming out faster and faster.

"Oh well that's good because I was wondering if you had a date already? I know with you being the Boy-Who-Lived you could get with anyone in the castle really."

"Yeah I know but you don't have to wor-"

"And I know you hate that sort of thing,"

"Yeah I do but Hermi-"

"I personally have never seen you that way,"

"Hermi-"

"And well I've fancied you for a while now,"

"Wait what are yo-"

"What I'm trying to say is willyougototheballwithmeHarry?"

Harry was about to open his mouth again to try and stop the torrent of words spilling out of Hermione when she dropped that bombshell on top of him, effectively stunning him into silence. Hermione took his silence the wrong way and started to babble even more."

"Oh no I've gone and ruined it all, I knew you wouldn't return my feelings, I mean who would? I'm just plain old bookworm Hermione, I don't have the curves or the hair of the other girls here, oh Harry I'm so sorry, please don't hate me, I prom-"

"Hermione!"

Hermione stopped mid rant, her mouth clicking shut forcibly. She turned and regarded Harry for a second before nodding for him to say whatever he wanted to say. Harry took her hands in his and started to speak slowly, like he was choosing his words very carefully.

"Hermione, I think you are an amazing person, and any bloke would be extremely lucky to have you as a close friend, let alone as a date to the ball. I happen to think you are highly fanciable," Harry started, pausing to consider his next words. "I'm really sorry Hermione, but I don't feel that way about you. You're very important to me, one of the most important people in my life, but there's someone else, and I already said yes to them, and I think I fancy them too. Again, I'm really sorry, and I hope we can still be best friends."

Hermione sat there absorbing what Harry had said, her heart feeling battered after Harry's admission of there being someone else. She already had a good idea of who had captured Harry's heart so fast and had to admit to herself that Harry could do worse than Fleur Delacour, she was smart, kind when you got to know her, and not to mention beautiful. While it would take her a long while to get over the kind, noble, and handsome young raven-haired wizard, she could be happy for him.

If they happen to break up when Fleur leaves after this year, then Hermione could always swoop in and piece Harry's heart together. 'After sufficient time to move on from Fleur has passed of course,' Hermione thought. 'I wouldn't want to be a rebound after all, even if he does think me as highly fanciable.'

Hermione was so lost in thought that she never really replied to Harry's words, and said wizard was really worried Hermione was going to start yelling at him and then storm off.

"Um, Hermione?" Harry said tentatively. "Are you okay? Do you hate me?"

Hermione figuratively (and literally) shook the cobwebs out of her mind and said, "Oh Harry, I'm not mad at you, it's not like you can control who you fancy, and, well, I'm just a little disappointed is all. I had really hoped you would return my feelings." Upon seeing the look of guilt and hurt on Harry's face, she hastened to add, "But it's okay, I'll get over it, and we'll still be Harry and Hermione, the dynamic duo, alright?" She really hoped she didn't take their friendship and throw it in a dumpster fire.

Harry looked conflicted for a second before a small smile broke out. "I'm really glad we can still be best friends, that's all I wanted, I was scared you wouldn't want anything to do with me now that I've basically broken your heart."

"Oh Harry, come here," she said, opening her arms as an invitation. Harry moved closer and Hermione wrapped him in a warm hug. "It's alright Harry, I promise. I won't let this ruin our friendship, you're much too important to me for anything like that to happen."

They stayed like that for a while, content to be in each other's presence. While Harry knew that it would take a while for her to get over her feelings for him, and that she would be hurting for a while, he was immeasurably grateful that she still wanted to be friends with him, and wasn't about to hex him into the next decade for breaking her heart.

Their bond might not be a romantic one, but it was a very deep and profound bond, nonetheless.

~o0o~

**Christmas Day, The Yule Ball**

"Mr. Potter, where is your date?" McGonagall said, seeing him standing in the entrance hall without anyone on his arm.

"Oh, she said she'd meet me in front of the staircase Professor," Harry said, also wondering his date could be, and slightly irrationally, worried that she had stood him up, completely disregarding the fact that she was a Champion, and thus had to be there too.

"Oh look, there is Ms. Delacour on the staircase, I wonder why she does not have date either," McGonagall idly commented. Harry turned and was about to respond that she was his date when he caught sight of Fleur, and all thoughts not related to the French Veela vacated his brain en masse.

He thought she looked absolutely stunning, a silver dress clinging to her body, accentuating her curves in all the right places, showing off an alluring hint of cleavage while managing to remain tasteful, and not come off as a slag. A hint of makeup adorned her cheeks, staining them with a light pinkish hue, bringing out the blue in her eyes, and her hair done up in a neat french braid. Overall, she looked like an angel, and Harry was entranced.

He quickly snapped out of it, however, and practically ran up to her and offered her his arm, saying, "Ms. Delacour, you look positively angelic, would you like to take my arm?"

She smiled prettily at him and linked her arm in his, and he led the both of them over to where the rest of the Champions and Professor McGonagall were located.

'Harry Potter, you just won Filius and I 20 Galleons,' McGonagall thought, very pleased with how the night was turning out already.

"Alright champions, when they call your names, head out into the center of the dance floor and open up the dance. Once the opening dance is over, we will go over to the head table and eat dinner, then the rest of the night is free for all students. Headmaster Dumbledore has convinced us staff to eliminate the curfew for tonight, so use your time wisely, and most of all, responsibly," McGonagall said sternly, before turning and speaking to Harry.

"Mr. Potter, Ms. Delacour, I must say I am quite happy you two decided to go together. I always knew you two would make a good pair."

"Oh, thank you professor," Harry said, slightly puzzled, not quite sure why she was so happy he decided to go with Fleur.

"Well you two best be off, they just called your names," McGonagall said, smiling slightly at the pair.

"Well Ms. Delacour, shall we?" Harry said in a mock posh tone.

Fleur giggled slightly and held out her arm for him to take, "We shall Mr. Potter." With that the pair moved onto the center of the dance floor and started to dance.

Soon, the two were lost in their own world, having only eyes for each other. Fleur was amazed at how well Harry could dance, his hand on her waist, leading her through all the steps. The two were so close together, swaying in time to the music, her head resting on his shoulder, and she knew that the two of them could have happily stayed there for the rest of the night. Being in Harry's arms felt so right to her, and she could feel her Veela side calling to mate with him, to make him hers for the rest of her life. The call to bond was very strong indeed. At some point, she decided to get a little frisky with Harry, and as they whirled around the dance floor, she discreetly started to grind on his front, eliciting a small gasp from Harry. When he looked at her questioningly, all she did was smirk and pull him in for a searing kiss, grinding on him several more times before smiling innocently and resuming the dance.

It took Harry quite a while for his reaction to her ministrations to go away, but thankfully go away it did, right on time too, as the music had just cut off, causing the regular attendees to applaud, signalling the start of dinner. The pair headed off the dance floor and to the head table, and were seated right next to Dumbledore, who was smiling merrily at the pair.

"Harry, my dear boy, and Ms. Delacour as well. I must say that I was quite surprised to see the two of you together. I was under the impression that Ms. Granger would be on your arm tonight Harry."

"Er, no Professor, Fleur had asked before Hermione, and I wanted to go with Fleur anyway, so…" Harry trailed off, not quite sure what else to say to the old Headmaster.

"Wait, 'Arry, you never told me that 'Ermione 'ad asked you to go to the ball," Fleur said, a perfectly manicured eyebrow raised.

"Oh, uh well, I uh, didn't think it was worth mentioning to you, after all I wanted to go with you Fleur, and I fancy you, not her," Harry said quickly, knowing how females got when other females tried to get with their man.

Luckily, Fleur took it all in good faith, and the rest of dinner passed without incident, although there was a suspicious number of Galleons being passed from Dumbledore to McGonagall and Flitwich, causing Harry to wonder if the Headmaster's 'innocent' statement about Hermione being his date was really innocent to begin with.

The pair danced several more times, stopping in between to get refreshments, before Harry suggested they head out and explore the castle a little, as Fleur had expressed an interest in the various adventures he had gotten up to.

As they walked through the mostly empty corridors, occasionally running into a student or a couple looking for an unoccupied broom closet, He spotted a familiar corridor, and he knew that the Mirror of Erised was stored in one of the many unused sitting rooms that littered the castle. After explaining to Fleur what they were looking for, he could see that she was just as excited to see the mirror as he was all those years ago.

Harry opened the door to the disused room and saw a number of couches and chairs surround the fabled mirror.

"So, this is the Mirror of Erised 'Arry?" Fleur asked, reading the backwards inscription that was on the edges of the mirror.

"Yeah, I was obsessed with it back in my first year because it showed me my family, intact, and I got lost in it. Professor Dumbledore had to rescue me from the temptation, or else I probably would have stayed there until I died of thirst or starvation. It's okay to look, but I think it would be best if we only looked once, and then left."

Fleur nodded, seeing the wisdom in his words.

Harry gestured to the mirror and said, "Well, ladies first."

Fleur walked up to the mirror with bated breath, wondering what her deepest desire would be.

Imagine her surprise when it was just an older version of her reflection in the mirror. She was just about to ask Harry if he was sure it was working when she looked and saw an older Harry carrying what looked to be a spitting image of a younger Fleur in his arms moving towards her older self. When he reached her, he gave her a light kiss on the lips before turning and waving at Fleur, along with her reflection. She gasped and stumbled back, her mind going a mile a minute, trying to process what she saw.

Harry, seeing Fleur in distress, ran up to where she was in front of the mirror and asked if she was okay.

Fleur took a couple shaky breathes and was about to reply when she looked in the mirror and gasped again, as the image had changed.

All she saw now was the two of them as they were now, nothing more, and nothing less.

"Fleur, are you seeing this? It's just us two, that's it," Harry said, confused as to why it wasn't showing him his family like it did 3 years ago.

"Oui 'Arry, I see it too. I wonder why it is showing us this," Fleur replied, trying to piece together why the mirror was working like a regular mirror.

"Mr. Potter, Ms. Delacour, I believe the answer lies in the fact that if the person looking in the mirror has everything they desire, then it will work just like a regular mirror, nothing more, nothing less," Dumbledore said from behind the pair, causing them to jump slightly.

All at once it came to Harry, the reason why it only showed him and Fleur was because that was all he desired. Someone who wanted him for him, not for the Boy-Who-Lived or any of that, but just Harry Potter, a teenage wizard.

"Sir, are you saying what I think you're saying?" Harry said in reply.

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled merrily in response. "Now Harry, if I told you, what would be the fun in that? I think I will leave it to you and Ms. Delacour to figure it out yourselves. Have a goodnight you two. I must be off; I have an early appointment with Gringotts tomorrow because of you."

With those parting words, the pair were left alone once again, staring at their reflections.

"'Arry, is what your 'eadmaster said true?" Fleur asked softly, already knowing the answer, but needing to hear it from Harry himself, to confirm his feelings for her.

"Yes Fleur, it's true. All my life I've wanted someone who would be with me for me, and you have shown me that when you walked into my life and swept me off my feet, made me feel safe, happy, and loved. You're the only thing I need in life Fleur, and I hope that you feel the same."

Harry turned and saw tears in her eyes, but before he could say anything else, he was tackled into a fierce hug that saw the both of them landing onto one of the larger couches in front of the mirror.

"Oh, 'Arry, that is the sweetest thing anyone 'as ever said to me," she said, burying her face in his chest. "I 'ave always wanted someone to see me as a girl, not as some sexual object to be conquered, and you 'ave done just that my Chevalier. Of course I feel the same way, and I never want to lose you 'Arry Potter."

With that, the two spent the rest of the night curled up on that couch, in their own cocoon of happiness, both being in the presence of the one thing that they desired the most: unconditional love and acceptance.

~o0o~

**A/N: And thus concludes La Fleur de Mon Coeur, I hope you all enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. The ending was a little cheesy, but hey, I thought it was quite romantic, being each others thing they desired most. **

**Fic Recommendation: His Angel by durararaaa, incomplete, but at 395K+ words, you'll get a fair bit of mileage out of it, I love the way Harry and Fleur's romance progresses, and the characterization of all the characters is one of the best in my opinion.**


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